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2007-03-23 Africa Horn

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Posted by Steve 2007-03-23 12:43|| || Front Page|| [6 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I'd think it would be pretty hard to bring down an Il-76 with just one missile. Those things are huge! Of course, I don't have any experience in this kind of thing, so my knee-jerk reaction could be totally wrong.

Posted by WhitecollarRedneck 2007-03-23 13:32|| 2007-03-23 13:32|| Front Page Top

#2 Sitting on the ground, it would be damaged only a little. But, in flight, everything is under dynamic stress, so breaking a small portion can have a big effect.

When missiles are tested, the warhead is replaced by instrumentation and telemetry. Still, even without any warhead at all, a direct hit by an AIM-120, say, will bring a QF-4 down in pieces. So, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Posted by Jackal">Jackal 2007-03-23 20:33|| http://home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html]">[http://home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html] 2007-03-23 20:33|| Front Page Top

#3 Breaking it on landing is difficult, but on takeoff, when the system is under maximum stress, the loss of one engine could criple the aircraft and cause a crash. The other possibility is that the warhead struck the rear of an engine, and it started shedding turbine blades. That can be fatal to an aircraft regardless of what else is happening.

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2007-03-23 21:30|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2007-03-23 21:30|| Front Page Top

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